The Woman's Miracle Fruit

Speaking to the female population, I am sure many of you suffer from this problem- painful cramps from our menstruation cycle. I dread when my cycle comes as I always suffer having 2-3 days of pain that causes me to miss college classes and sometimes even work. It has caused unwanted stress especially during exams, which only adds more pressure and increased nausea, however that was before I found my Miracle Fruit Papaya!

Papaya (also known as Pawpaw, Papaye, and Melon fruit) is a tropical fruit that is full of many enzymes, fibers, and rich vitamins that aids in digestion. It is a very sweet and seedy fruit that is soft and fleshy on the inside. It is known to grow in South and Central America and the Caribbean and is known to help in inflammation, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart disease.

How Papaya helps is that by eating it on a regular basis it can regulate periods. Papaya helps in contracting the uterus muscle which induces periods since it can produce heat in the body to promote estrogen which will regulate the menstruation cycle. You see during your menstruation your uterus contracts in order to shed its lining to help for a potential pregnancy. These contractions are caused by prostaglandins which happens when an egg is released by the ovaries in order to receive a fertilized egg. If your body doesn’t receive a hormonal signal for an in-progress pregnancy it then repeats the process of shedding. The problem is the more prostaglandins the body produces the more painful cramps. However, they can be other reasons why you may have a painful period and a gynecologist can help with that.

In addition, papaya contains carotene. That is plant pigments that give bright colors to fruits and veggies like carrots and oranges. Carotene turns into vitamin A when consumed and is useful in preventing cramps as it minimizes the blood flow. Since you are not bleeding as heavy, the pain would be much less. Vitamin A is important to the body as it maintains the mucous membranes which make mucus to protect the body internally from bacteria and viruses, the functioning of the liver and the reproductive organs.

Some may eat papaya raw (by itself) in fruit salads, juices, or smoothies. How I consume papaya regularly is through smoothies. I use both young and ripen papaya, though I have heard younger papaya is much better. I usually mix it with other fruits like oranges or guavas to create a different flavor as I can sometimes get bored with just the strong papaya flavor. This is one of my personal papaya recipes:

Recipe: Creamy Papaya Orange Smoothie

Ingredients

1 Cup Frozen Papaya (peeled)

1 Banana (skin removed)

3-5 Dates (sweeten to taste)

¼ Cup Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

½ Cup Almond Milk/ Soy Milk

Instructions

Add all the ingredients into a blender, blend until it reaches the consistency you desire, (smooth and creamy). If it looks too thick or you’re having trouble blending add more milk. Once it’s to your liking pour in a glass and enjoy!